1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a connecting module and/or a motion assistance apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the onset of rapidly aging society, an increased number of people may experience inconvenience and agony from joint problems, and, therefore, an interest in a motion assistance apparatus that may help these people walk is growing. In addition, motion assistance apparatuses that may increase a muscular strength of a human body are being developed, for example, for military purposes.
In general, a motion assistance apparatus may include one or more of a body frame disposed on a trunk of a user, a pelvic frame coupled to a lower side of the body frame to cover a pelvis of the user, a femoral frame disposed on a thigh of the user, a sural frame disposed on a calf of the user, and a pedial frame disposed on a foot of the user. The pelvic frame and the femoral frame may be connected rotatably by a hip joint portion, the femoral frame and the sural frame may be connected rotatably by a knee joint portion, and the sural frame and the pedial frame may be connected rotatably by an ankle joint portion.
The motion assistance apparatus may include an active joint structure including a hydraulic system and/or a driving motor to drive each joint portion to improve a muscular strength of a leg of the user.
For example, a driving motor of a driving portion, a decelerator, and a frame of a fixing portion may be structurally connected to a joint portion in an axial direction.